Food Writing as Asian American and Plant-Based

Abstract

Media about being plant-based—the choice of consuming more plants and less animals for various intentions such as environmental and health reasons —tend to be about lifestyle or dietary advice from Eurocentric perspectives. These perspectives tend to not include low income, first generation, and other identities and assume similar accessibility and availability to resources in their recommendations. This research specifically explores how the identities of not being Chinese, Vietnamese, or American enough produces a unique Asian American plant-based experience. This distinctive experience challenges the plant-based discourse to grow beyond Eurocentric perspectives. Intentionally incorporating this experience into creative nonfiction food writing essays and Instagram posts offers other plant-based curious omnivores an invitation to critically think about how their identities intersect with the plant-based movement.